Sylvania



Sheet 1.

2 Sheets w. W. HARRINGTON;

INHALER FOR ANJESTHETIGS.

(N70 Model.)

Patented Dec INV-ENT R;

W TN E33 E34 N. PETERS. Phob-umw mum o a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER W. HARRINGTON, OF OARROLLTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE S. S. A

WHITE DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN SYLVANIA.

INHALER FOR AN/ESTHETICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,831, dated December '13, 1887.

Application filed February 25, 1886. Serial No. 193,097. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER W. HARRING- TON, of Garrollton, in the county of Carroll and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inhalers or Devices for Administering Anaesthetics, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to inhalers or devices for administering gaseous or volatile anzesthet- 1o ics-such as nitrous oxide gas, chloroform, ether,&c.-or combinations of such anaesthetms.

The main object of my invention is to provide an improved inhaler or apparatus for administering anzesthetics of that class having automaticallyoperated valves, whereby, upon the application of the inhaler to the face of the patient, the escape of the gas or 311288 thetic to the patients lungs is automatically permitted and the escape of the expired breath provided for, and which apparatus, on being removed from the face of the patient, automatically closes the opening or openings leading from the gas-bag or anaesthetic-chamber,

, so as to confine the anzesthetic and keep it from the lungs of the patient and prevent its being wasted.

My invention consists of certain novel'con v '40 patient and attached to a gas-bag for the administration, for example, of nitrous oxide as an anaesthetic. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionthrough said apparatus. Fig. 3 is a similar section with the parts in a different position-i. (2., with the inhaling opening or openings open to administer the anaesthetic. Fig. 4 is a View, partly in section, of a portion of the inhaling-tube, showing one way of administering a combination of anaesthetics with my improved inhaler. Fig. 5 is a view, partly in sect-ion, showing the inhaling-tube as provided with a perforated ball holding a sponge satua hood, A, preferably made of india-rubber, a

to be applied to the face of the patient, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so as to cover the nose and mouth in awell-known way. An exhalatiou-valve,-B, is fitted to an opening, a, in the hood A, and consists, preferably, of a slotted or open-work cap, 1;, within which 'works a thin valve-disk, b, covering said exhalationopening a in the hood, said opening being preferably formed bya tube, B, inserted in the hood A. The valve-disk b is fitted to move to and from the valve-opening a, and obviously when an exhalation of the breath takes place the disk will be carried up or outwardly against the perforated cap b and permit free escape of the expired breath, while when an inhalation takes-place the suction of vacuum draws the disk b tightly against the edges sur rounding the valve -opening, and effectually I prevents the entrance of external air through said opening. The administration of the anzesthetic takes place, preferably, through a tubular or pipe connection between the hood A and the chamber 0 containing the 2.11288- thetic.

. V A pipe-section, D, is fitted into a tubular opening, a, in the outer end of the hood A, and said pipe-section, at its inner end, is fitted with a perforated end or cap, (1, forming a seat for a valve-disk, d, fitted to close against an annular shoulder, (1 in said pipe section. 8 5 The valve disk at plays back and forth between the annular shoulder 01' and the end of the perforated cap d, so as to open or close the opening of the pipe-section D to the hood. 7

Fitted in the outer end of the pipe-section o D,by screw-threads or otherwise,is a pipe-section, E, having asmooth periphery and terminating in an annular shoulder, 6. Near the inner end of the pipe-section E is an opening, and preferably a series of openings, e, and 5 near the outer end thereof is another opening, and preferably a series of openings, 6*. Fitted upon this pipe-section E is the inner end of a main pipe section, F, which I will call the handle-section of the apparatus. Saidv 10o handle-section Fhas a packing, f, and is fitted to move backward and forward and turn or swivel upon the pipe-section E, so that when in its innermost position, as shown in Fig. 3, the series of air-inlet openings ewill'be closed, while free communication with the outer end of the pipe or tube communicating with the anaesthetic-chamber is afi'orded by means of the series of anmsthetic-inlet openings 6, as will be obvious.

It will be equally obvious that when the handle-section F is in its outermost position, or at the end of its outward movement upon the pipesection E, as limited by the shoulder e, Figs. 1 and 2, the series of openings e leadin g from the anresthetie-chamber will be closed, while free entran'ceto the hood and to the lungs of the patient is afforded to the atmospheric air through the series of openings e and the valve (1, hereinbefore described. By the turning or swiveling connection between the hood and handle the instrument is readily accommodated to the face.

The handle-section F is fitted at its outer end with a preferably bent pipe connection, G, which may be attached directly to the gasbag or anzestheticchamber O, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The handle-section F of the inhaler contains a preferably compressed spiral spring, S, bearing at one end upon the outer end of the pipe-section E, and at the otherend against a shoulder formed at the outer end of the handle-section F, whereby it will be obvious that the normal position of the handle-section of the inhaler is a position closing the series of openings 0 which permit the passage of the anaesthetic to the lungs of the patient. Suppose, now, that the anicsthetic is to be administered: The inhaler is grasped by the handlesection and the hood is applied to the face. If the patient be timid the pressure is light, so that the-handle-seetion is not moved backward upon the pipe-section E. This permits of the patient freely inhaling the atmospheric air through the openings 0, the valve d being carried backward to permit the free entrance of the air on the inhalation of the patient. 1

\Vhenthe patient exhales, the valve or disk (1 is closed by thepressure of the exhaled breath, and the exhalation-disk b is carried back, so as to uncox er its opening and thus permit the free escape of the expired breath. At the proper time-which is always determined by the stamina and characteristics of the patient to beanzesthetizedpr thejudgment of the operator-pressure is exerted upon the handle-section to move it backward on the pipe-section E and close the air opening or openingse and at the same time uncover the gas-inlet opening or openings e so that upon the inhalation of the patient the anaesthetic will be breathed directly into the lungs to produce anaesthesia, and when anaesthesia is produced the pressure upon the handle-section of the inhaler is released and the gas opening or openings is or are immediately closed by the action of the spring S, which thrusts the handle-section forward upon the pipe-section E tosecurely close said gas-openings. This closure of the gas openings is gas-tight, which is insured, prefer- 7o ably, by means of a suitable packing, f, fitted within the handle-section, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and secured in place byascrewcap, f, for example. i

I have shown in Fig. 1 my improved inhaler as attached to a gas'bag, such as is usually applied for administering nitrousoxide gas in producing anaesthesia.

In Fig. 41 have shown an additional pipesection, H, to which the gas-bag may be attached, and which section is provided with an opening, h, closed preferably by a plug or stopper, h, for example.

It is sometimes desirable to administer chloroform, or other anzesthetics, in connection with nitrous-oxide gas, and I provide a ready means of doing this by the use of the perforated section H and the stopper h, above described.

When the combined or compounded acres 0 thetic is a to be administered-for instance, chloroform with the gasthe stopper h is removed, which affords an opening for the entrance to the inhaling'tnbe of a drop-tube, I, which may be a graduated tube, so as to ad- 5 minister the exact amount of the anaesthetic desired. When the gas alone is to be administered, the droptube I is removed and the opening h stopped or closed by the plug or stopper h, which closes all entrance to the inhaling-tube, except that leading from the gas-chamber. 1

' When gas is not to be administered, and a volatile anaesthetic is to be used-such as chloroform or ether-a perforated ball, constitut- 1C5 ing the anresthetic-ehamber C, may be attached to the end of the inhaling pipe or tube, by means of screw-threads, for instance, as shown in Fig. 5, to hold a sponge, which may he saturated with the autesthetic to be administered, 1 :o and which is volatilized and carried, at the inhalation of the patient, to the lungs to produce anaesthesia.

From the above it will be seen that I have produced-an improved automatic inhaler, very :15

simple and effective in its construction and operation, and adapted for a wide range of uses in connection with various anaesthetics. Most of the parts being tubular, in the preferred organization I have described, are easily fitted together and insure the nice, certain, and effective working of the apparatus.

I have thus set forth my improvements, to gether with several ways of utilizing them by the dentist and surgeon, or other operator, [:5 who may desire to produce anaesthesia in a patient; and I wish it understood that my im provements are not limited to mere details, and, as I have stated above, that some of my improvements maybe used without the others. 1 3o I also desire tosay that I do not broadly claim an automatic inhaler, as that is not new with me, and is hereby expressly disclaimed.

I claim as my invention-- 1. An inhaler provided with a tubular or pipe portion fitted with two independent openings or series of openings, in combination with a movable section adapted to close either of said series of openings, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in an inhaler, of a tubnlar or pipe portion having an inlet-valve at its rear end and a double series of valve-openings or holes near the front end, a handle fitted to slide back-ward and forward on said front end of said tubular portion, and a spring to throw said handle in one direction and keep it in a normal position to close one series of said openings, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the hood, the exhaling-valve, and the tubular pipe portion fitted with an inhaling-valve, and a double set of openings in advance of said 1ast-mentioned valve, with a sliding handle-section adapted to close one set of said openings and open the other, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the hood, the exhaling-valve fitted in said hood, the tubular pipe portion, the inhaling-valve at the end of said pipe portion, the separate openings in said pipe portion in advance of said inhaling-valve,

one for the admission of external air and the other for the admission of the anaesthetic, the

sliding handle-section fitted to move back and 0 forth to cover and uncover said openings, 'respectively, and the actuating-spring to maintain said handle-section in a normal position over one of said openings, substantially as described.

5. An inhaling apparatus in which is combined a mouth-piece or hood and a handle section or portion by means of a swivel-connection, substantially as described, whereby to accommodate and adjust themselves to each other, as before set forth.

6. An inhaling apparatus in which is combined a mouth-piece or hood and a handlethe handle portion and hood may turn or swivel 0 section, by means of a swivel-connection, and 5 

